Our Suzuki Jimny Takes Its First Major Road Trip

 

We took our JDM 1998 Suzuki Jimny Wide on its first real trip! And, we made sure it was to a good place: the 2026 Northwest Overland Rally. Our previous 1995 Suzuki Sidekick was a regular at the regional event, and it was awesome to show up again in a small Suzuki. 

While we've had the little 4x4 for over a year now (which is wild), due to our extensive travel schedules, we've only gotten to work on it recently. And right before we left, we added a few modifications. 

New Modifications

The Jimny already had a few modifications, including 15x7 wheels, a winch plate, and front recovery points from Jimny Bits in the UK. It was also lifted about 1" on King Springs and Ultima Shocks. 

XPEL Wrap Job

We worked with XPEL and Roadrunner Protective Films to have our Jimny Wide wrapped in a fantastic color called Moss Green. Dave Ball at Roadrunner Protective Films did an absolutely stellar job wrapping our 4x4. You'd be hard-pressed to tell this isn't paint, too. We're super excited for the hue change. And while we liked the original green color, parts of the fender flares were fading, so the wrap brings new life to the trucklet's finish.

Warn Winch and Factor 55 Accessories

Before the wrap, I installed the new WARN R60-S winch, which has a 6,000 lb. capacity. To it, I added a Factor 55 Short Drum Comp fairlead, and an UltraHook XTV for pulling duty. This is more than enough capacity for our 2,500 lb. Jimny, but it never hurts to have a bit more pulling power. And the Factor 55 accessories were a perfect match. 

215/75/15 BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO3 Tires

Our Jimny Wide came with 235/75/15 BFGoodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires. However, they rubbed badly at full lock and under articulation. We opted to go down a size to 215/75/15 KO3 tires, and that completely fixed our rubbing. Plus, the KO3 tires have an updated tread pattern and compound, making them more durable on gravel and better in the wet. 

Front Runner Dometic Slimline II Roof Rack and Accessories

These little rigs have an equally little gas tank. In Japan, it's no problem. Here in the USA, that equates to under 200 miles of range. So we added a Front Runner Dometic Slimline II roof rack. And yes, it's made specifically for third-generation Suzuki Jimnys. We run one of these racks on our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear and love it. Installation was a breeze and the rack is very sturdy. 

To it, we added Front Runner Dometic's dual jerry can holder letting us hold 10 more gallons of fuel, which should give our little green rig lot of range. We also added the company's traction board holder so we can use our MAXTRAX Minis, and a Wolf Pack Pro box holder, which will hold their Wolf Pack Pro storage box, maximizing our ability store stuff for longer outings. 

The Trip to Northwest Overland Rally

Photo by Mercedes Lilienthal

It was literally a last-minute decision whether or not we could take the Jimny up to the event. I'd been chasing a coolant leak and a brake issue. Between getting packed and prepped for the event, I thought we might not take the vehicle. But a last-second fix on the coolant (simply moving a hose clamp for a better seal, and greasing slide pins on a caliper) enabled us to take the Suzuki to the Northwest Overland Rally. 

Like some of our other JDM vehicles, the Jimny Wide is happiest at 65 MPH and under, so we cruised between 60 and 65 MPH on the 300-mile trip up there. Despite crazy winds which necessitated using our 1994 Mitsubishi Delica Space Gear and a wind block, the SUV did great! Water leak fixed, brake issue remedied, too! 

This was a 600-mile round-trip excursion, and the Jimny has started to build our trust for longer-distance travel. 

We had an excellent time at the Northwest Overland Rally, where we even taught a couple of classes around a few of our previous years' trips. In fact since the rally's inception in 2010, we've only missed one of their events.  

The Jimny got a lot of attention, as it's a rare vehicle in North America. Lots of people thought it'd been repainted, which is a testament to its great wrap job.

We've got a few other things we'd like to add to the rig, but at least its first shakedown run was successful, and we can keep moving forward with this little project. We're already looking forward to the 2027 event season, too!